Christmas Picture Book Advent Idea

When I was a kid we cut out strips of red and green construction paper and wrote things to do in December on them (like read a book, watch a Christmas movie, go for a walk, sing carols etc.) and then linked them together into a chain. Each day we took one off and did what it said.

I decided this year to do something similar with  my children but a bit different. I started it late but that’s okay, the kids can still count down to the big day. If you still don’t have an advent calendar, don’t think it’s too late. Just start as soon as you can!

Our advent calendar this year counts down the days with a good Christmas book everyday.

Step 1 – Prepare the Paper

Use a ruler to draw lines horizontally on the paper to guide you when you cut out the strips. We use red and green paper but you can use whatever you want. You will need 24 if you do this before December starts, otherwise, figure out how many days are left including Christmas Eve and that's how many you will need.

Step 2 – Gather Your Christmas Picture Books

Gather together your holiday picture books. I had more than enough for one a day. If you don’t, you can double them up, just space them out so you aren’t reading the same book twice in a row or hit the thrift store and get some more.

Step 3 – Write The Titles on the Strips of Paper

Try to keep them away from the edges. My first few were great, but the title of the second last visible one was so long I had to go near the edges. The reason for this is when they are taken off, part of the title may be ripped.

Step 4 – Cut the Strips Apart

Cut them all apart and mix them up. Get a stapler for the next step….

Step 5 – Assemble the Chain

Take one and make a circle and staple it closed with the ends overlapping just enough. Take another (opposite colour) and put it through the first and then staple. Repeat alternating the colours.

Step 6 – Hang Your Advent Chain Up

Each night, one of my children takes a link off and reads the book title and then tries to find it in our bin of Christmas books. This aids in their reading skills as well. BONUS!

I had so many books I made a couple with two books so they are surprised occasionally with two bedtime stories instead of one!

Enjoy!

Halloween Monster Craft with Duck Brand Duct Tape

When I heard that Duck Brand Duct Tape had even more new styles of duct tape and looked at their site and saw that they had a page listing crafts to do with duct tape.  So I searched the web for more and found these Halloween Monsters made using recyclables and duct tape.

So I wrote Duck Brand Duct Tape to see if they would send us some duct tape to do craft with our Girl Guides and they agreed.

I received many different colours, different patterns and even glow in the dark tape!

So our Halloween meeting was last night so I brought some recyclables and and the tape and they went to work.

I was busy while they did it so I don’t have any photos of the process but here are their finished results:

They were supposed to make them stand up on their own and balance which they don’t but they had tons of fun and they really liked the patterned duct tape.

So in the future, if you are looking for a unique craft to do for Halloween, consider making Duct Tape Monsters.

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Guest Post: Simple Projects Kids Will Love

© Flickr User tjstaab

One great thing to have the kids do is make gifts for family members. You can find scores upon scores of ideas for simple projects that will make great presents. This way the children have something new and fun to do, and they know their work will be valued. It will not just end up in a box or stuffed under a bed somewhere, but the recipient will be so pleased that the item will be proudly displayed. Here are some ideas of kid-friendly crafts for your children to work on when it is too rainy or cold to go outside. Won’t these bring a smile to Dad’s face, warm Grandma Thatcher’s heart or let Aunt Georgia know she is loved?

It’s easy to dress up a headband. Start with a plain plastic headband – any shade. Add strips of colored duct tape in your desired pattern. They can be striped horizontally in the person’s favorite colors. You could add flowers, feathers or lace. Duct tape is available in patterns too. You can choose camouflage, leopard spots and more. Think of what unique presents your headbands will make.

This is a gift your child could use and play with. Or maybe Dad would love it as a memento for his desk? Make a mini bulldozer. Start with 2 toilet paper tubes, 2 straws and thin cardboard. Cut 4 circles from cardboard - these are your wheels - and attach to a tp tube with straws. Trim straws if necessary. Cut the other tp tube in half lengthwise. This is the shovel. Attach to main body with small cardboard arms. If you want this to be more durable, use yellow duct tape from the headband project above. It will look more like a real bulldozer.

Have the kids make a pen holder flower pot to use by the phone. Wrap pens with florist tape – be sure the kids leave the tip of the ballpoint pen open – attach tissue flowers to the tops. “Plant” these pens in a small terra cotta pot with a piece of floral foam.

Personalization makes a memorable gift. When the entire gift is made with the givee in mind, well, you can’t get more personalized than that. Make a customized mini book with stickers. Start with 3X5 or 4X6 sized cardstock. Punch holes in paper before you begin so you can make a book of the pages at the end. Use pictures, stickers, markers, glitter and such to create a book about the person. This could be a mini scrapbook or a homemade rendition of a favorite book. Once the pictures are all glued and the decorating is completely dried, you can choose to laminate these pages so they will last. Use metal rings with clasps to attach the finished pages.

There are many games you can make yourself. A homemade memory game is just one idea. Buy or cut cardstock – all the same color – in 4X6 rectangles. Print 2 copies each of family pictures or colorful magazine pictures. Attach these to the back of the cards with glue. The only trick here is to make sure every card is uniform so they all look the same when they are turned cardstock side up. These can be laminated if you’d like them to last. Place your pictures face down on a table or floor and find all your matching pictures. You and your children will have memories of making and playing this game, and toys break but memories last a lifetime.

About the Author
Margo Smith grew up in the shadows of the everlasting hills, as the Rocky Mountains have sometimes been called. She earned her B.S. from Brigham Young University. She writes and social networks in hopes of having a closer global community. She writes about various topics including online degrees, hair care and the best places to travel.